Caravan pod and access road at 10 Kneep Uig Isle Of Lewis

“Application summary 5.1 This Report relates to an application for planning permission, registered as valid on 22 October 2025, for a change of use of land to site a static ‘caravan pod’, site works, creating a vehicular access, and installing a private drainage system on land within croft 10 Kneep, Uig, Isle of Lewis.”

“Description of site and its context 5.2 The site area extends to approximately 0.14ha, comprised of 0.1ha for development of a site on which to position a static ‘caravan pod’ and 0.04ha for the formation of a 70-metre-long vehicular access.”

“The application site has a Landscape Character Classification of Machair and is within an area designated a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) – Tràigh na Berie SAC, where the protected feature is machair habitat.”

“PLANNING HISTORY 7.1 There have been three previous applications for planning permission on the site:”

“Planning application reference 07/00668/OUT – Erect single storey dwellinghouse – Withdrawn. • Planning application reference 22/00493/PPP – Erect House. Create Access. Install Private Drainage System – Refused – Date of refusal: May 2023. • Planning application reference 24/00280/PPP – Erect house. Create access. Install private drainage system. Refused – Date of refusal: November 2024 • Planning appeal reference 25/00001/REFUS – Erect house. Create access.”

“The conclusion and recommendation are for refusal as it is considered that the merits of developing a site for the positioning of a ‘caravan pod’ on the proposed site do not outweigh the harm to the landscape character and machair environment and the risk of exacerbating these harms by setting a precedent for permanent development in this area of machair and would be contrary to the objectives and intent of Policies DS1: Development Strategy - Outwith Settlement and…”

“Material considerations which include the recent refusal to grant planning permission for the development of a dwellinghouse at this location do not lend weight in favour of the grant of this planning permission and the conclusion and recommendation is that the application be refused.”

“The key issues raised through representations, consultees and the policy assessment are: precedent for incremental development that would permanently alter the landscape character of this area; diminishing the quality of the machair environment within the designated SAC; design of the proposed ‘caravan pod’; and impact on protected species from the new private wastewater system.”

“Comhairle Archaeologist: The potential for significant archaeological features and deposits to be encountered is at such a high level that the Archaeology Service recommends that this application is refused. However, if the Comhairle approves planning permission for this site, a program of archaeological works including predetermination desk-based assessment and archaeological evaluation works as a minimum.”

“NatureScot: The site is within the Traigh na Berie Special Area of Conservation (SAC). We advise that the proposal is likely to have a significant effect on the site, as there would be permanent loss of machair habitat. An appropriate assessment is therefore required. We further advise that, considered by itself, this proposal is not likely to have an adverse effect on the integrity of the site. The total area of the SAC is 153.54Ha, of which 30.74Ha is machair habitat.”

“They raised similar issues and to avoid repetition the matters have been summarised and considered on an issue-by-issue basis under relevant policies in the Appraisal section of this Report while the full details of the representations are contained in Appendix 4 to this Report.”

“The key issues can be summarised as follows: site is in an undeveloped machair area, outwith settlement; negative precedent would be set if development approved in this area; concerns over whether the development met the definition of a caravan; impact on ecology from wastewater; impact on protected species (corncrake); the Traigh na Berie SAC was last completed in 2014 and is therefore out of date by 12 years; Nature Scot responses to planning applications within the…”

“The Chief Planning Officer submitted a Report concerning a planning application to install an access road; change the use of land to site a caravan pod; and install a private wastewater system on a site within croft 10 Kneep, located south-east of the developed settlement of Kneep, Uig, Isle of Lewis. The Report indicated that the application was considered by the Appointed Officer to raise sensitive issues and it was therefore referred to the Board for determination.”

“It was agreed that the planning application be refused for the reasons set out in Appendix 1 to the Report.”